In one non-limiting embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a seat restraint anchor inertial lock for use in connection with a child seat that is secured to a vehicle seat and, more particularly, to an improved restraint device or system that manages the load and displacement characteristics of one or more child seat anchors upon experiencing a predetermined change in acceleration indicative of a vehicle impact condition.
Child safety seats are routinely secured to the seat of a vehicle through conventional methods and use of such equipment as a standard vehicle seat belt and child seat attachment hardware such as tethers or straps that are generally included with, or integral to, the child seat assembly. The tethers or straps have hooks, clips, clasps and/or rigid, quick release engagement clip or claw-like mechanisms at their ends to engage the vehicle seat anchors. Standard systems routinely utilize child seat straps with quick release mechanisms for directly engaging the vehicle anchors, or a conventional child seat tether/strap or belt assembly wherein the seat belt and/or child tether/strap webbing is intertwined through brackets or guide apertures in the child seat, so that the child seat may be drawn against the vehicle seat and secured to the vehicle seats lower restraint anchors. Additionally, a top tether incorporating a tether hook, clip or clasp also engages a vehicle anchor to further secure the upper portion of the child seat to the vehicle seat. Child safety seats generally move in a car-forward direction, relative to the vehicle seat, during an abrupt vehicle deceleration or dynamic frontal vehicle impact event, causing a resulting inertial force to be impinged on the points of contact between the child seat attachment hardware and the interfacing vehicle restraint anchors. The effects of such inertial forces can be significant and thus management of these forces can be helpful to reduce the loads transferred to the seated child occupant.
It is therefore desirable to reduce occupant injury in child seats by providing a restraint anchor assembly that enhances the functional relationship between the child seat and the controlled, common points of engagement with the vehicle interior environment, in order to manage the displacement of a child seat, and the energy transferred to the child occupant, as the result of an abrupt vehicle deceleration or vehicle impact event. This may be achieved by controlling the translation and rotation of a child seat that is engaged with a vehicle's restraint anchors, subjected to the aforementioned conditions. One or more load bearing deformable energy distributing or absorbing elements are incorporated into an energy management restraint anchor assembly, or a shared energy management restraint anchor system. The deformable elements are configured to be distorted and/or displaced when subjected to restraint anchor input load conditions, thereby absorbing and redistributing restraint energy and permitting corresponding restraint anchor extraction.
Incorporation of one or more load bearing deformable members that may, when combined together or incorporated individually, exhibit a variety of material properties, cross-sectional geometries, and correspondingly unique resultant energy absorption characteristics, enhances the ability to tune the load redistribution and anchor displacement capabilities of the energy management restraint device. A wide variety of energy management characterization profiles may therefore be derived for a given restraint anchor, or combination of anchorages associated with an energy management restraint device or system, including progressive, digressive, multi-level and variable rise rate load limiting that may be achieved over a variety of predetermined anchor displacement values, thereby enabling customized load carrying and load redistribution characteristics for various occupant sizes or occupant loading conditions.
It is desirable to provide an improved energy management anchorage device or system that interfaces with the child seat attachment hardware and may be mounted to a structural or load bearing member of the vehicle seat, package tray, roof, floor, or any other desired location as permitted by law.